PLNU News

The PLNU speech and debate team’s competitive intercollegiate season has now drawn to a close with their last tournament. But the team went out with a bang at National Parliamentary Debate Nationals, hosted by Colorado College in Colorado Springs March 16 - 20.

The team ended the year as the third highest ranked school in the yearlong nationwide sweepstakes. There were hundreds of colleges and universities competing from across the nation, all in one large division at NPDA, including schools like UCLA, Cal Berkeley, and the United States Air Force Academy.

At the NPDA National Championships, the six teams representing PLNU were ranked the 8th top program at the national championship tournament sweepstakes, a ranking that counts your top four teams against all the other program’s top four teams at the tournament, all competing within one senior division. PLNU has had many strong teams in the past that have not even cracked the top ten awards in that category. PLNU's 1999 team won the top spot in this particular category.

Senior and team co-president Daniel Nadal was one of only three debaters in the nation selected to this year’s All American Parliamentary Debate Team. Nadal was awarded this honor based on his forensics success, high academics, and service to the community. He is now choosing which law school to attend next year.

The team of Ashley Nuckels and Ian Sharpels advanced to the double Octa Final round, and the team of Daniel Nadal and James Wilson advanced to the Triple Octa Final round. Their winning records in preliminary rounds allowed them to participate in the elimination rounds. Three of PLNU's other teams missed that opportunity by only one round.

On March 19, Dr. Doretha O’Quinn, associate dean in PLNU's School of Education and director of the Arcadia Regional Center, was honored as an outstanding African American Educator by Phi Delta Kappa, an international professional association for educators. The honor was based upon her current work at PLNU in reaching out to urban schools, previous work at Biola University and Azusa Pacific University, her publishing, and service to the wider church as a part of the board of directors for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

Read more about the impact of Dr. O'Quinn in this year's annual report.

The PLNU Speech and Debate Team just won the National Championship in Debate Sweepstakes, scoring double the number of sweepstakes points of the second place school in the Debate Division of the Christian College Nationals. PLNU also won Second Place Sweepstakes in the combined division of Speech and Debate at this 2011 National Christian College Forensics Association (NCCFA) Championship Tournament, hosted at Azusa Pacific University March 11-13.

Senior Daniel Nadal, co-president of the team was named top speaker in the nation, in the Open Division of Parliamentary Debate, and all nine of the PLNU teams entered in Parliamentary Debate advanced to the elimination rounds through posting winning records in preliminary rounds.

In Lincoln Douglas debate, PLNU students won several individual national champion titles as well. MacLean Andrews is the national champion in the senior division. Also noteworthy is two brand new, walk-on debaters this year (with no previous high school debate experience), Ben Carney and Brian Bentley, were both named co-national champions after winning their respective semifinal rounds in Lincoln Douglas debate, advancing to the final round in that division’s bracket.

The team has one last National Championship tournament this year. It will be at Colorado College, Colorado Springs.

NCCFA 2011 National Championship Tournament Results

Parliamentary Debate Results:

Senior Division –

Team results:

Ashley Nuckels and Ian Sharples – Semi Finalists

Mac Andrews and Michelle Diaz – Semi Finalists

Kim Jensen and Alex Pineda – Quarter Finalists

Barbara Gausewitz and Ciera Wilson – Quarter Finalists

McKayla Carpenter and John Morris – Quarter Finalists

Daniel Nadal and James Wilson – Octa Finalists

Speaker Awards:

1st Speaker: Daniel Nadal (Tournament Champion)

8th Speaker: James Wilson

9th Speaker: Ian Sharples

15th Speaker: Ashley Nuckels

17th Speaker: Kim Jensen

Junior Division –

Team Awards:

Benjamin Carney and Christy Wright – Semi Finalists

Brooke Rakes and Kassi Sanstrom – Quarter Finalists

Hailey Courtney and Brian Bentley – Quarter Finalists

Speaker Awards:

5th Speaker: Haley Courtney

7th Speaker: Brian Bentley

9th Speaker: Brooke Rakes

15th Speaker: Kassi Sandstrom

Lincoln Douglas Debate:

MacLean Andrews: Open Division National Champion

James Wilson: Semi Finalist Open Division

Ben Carney: Co National Champion Novice Division

Brian Bentley: Co National Champion Novice Division

Individual Events Results:

Daniel Nadal: Open Impromptu Third Place

Ashley Nuckels: Open Extemp Third Place; Open Rhetorical Criticism Fourth Place

San Diego leaders received actionable economic analysis recommendation on how to move forward in an ever-changing economy at the 2011 Fermanian Business & Economic Institute's (FBEI) annual economic outlook forum, "Sustaining the Expansion." Dr. Lynn Reaser, FBEI's chief economist, presented her economic forecast for the national, state, and regional economy.

In addition, George Chamberlin, executive editor of the San Diego Daily Transcript, chaired a panel discussion of industry leaders, including Cyrus Mirsaidi, CEO of Molecular Response; Mary Lewis, CFO of the City of San Diego; and Tom Wetherald, director of business development & strategic planning for General Dynamics NASSCO. They each gave an analysis of their organizations and industries, particularly relating to the San Diego economy.

According to the outlook, 2011 will be a year in which...

The U.S. economy gains momentum, with the private sector seizing the growth baton.

Job growth will be double the pace of 2010, although the drop in the unemployment rate will be slow.

High commodity prices will affect both consumers and businesses, but overall inflation will remain in check.

Interest rates will move higher and stocks will outperform bonds.

California will parallel the nation with better economic performance in 2011.

San Diego will see moderate, but broad-based, gains.

But we also believe that...

All levels of government—federal, state, and local—must address budget deficits in order to achieve a sustainable economic expansion.

To read an electronic version of the entire economic outlook publication, click here.

PLNU's annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea has brought quite a few eye and ear catching names to campus. This year is no different.

On Wednesday, Lynn Vincent, New York Times best-selling writer of books like Same Kind of Different as Me and Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue: An American Life, held an afternoon workshop on collaborative writing. In Wednesday's chapel, Mary Karr, author and memoirist of Lit: A Memoir and The Liars' Club, shared the story of her turbulent life.

On Thursday night, lyricist and musician Chris Hillman joined a conversation with Karl Martin and performed an acoustic concert. He has impacted, perhaps even defined, country rock by his work in The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Hillman also led a lyric writing workshop Thursday afternoon.

Friday, Rob Bell, founder of Mars Hill Church and a powerful voice in Christian spirituality, will have a conversation with Dean Nelson.

You can listen to more about the week's fascinating speakers featured on KPBS radio:

At PLNU, Dave Bruno is the manager of online marketing. Online, he is somewhat of a sensation. And recently, his new book, The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul, is garnering some major attention.

In 2007, Dave and his family did some summer cleaning. When he looked around his garage, he started to feel swamped with stuff - stuff he rarely or never used. So he began to minimize, all the way down to 100 things. He vowed to keep his personal belongings (not counting his family's belongings) at or below that number. He called his undertaking "The 100 Thing Challenge" and began writing about it on his blog, guynameddave.com. From the echoing responses, it seemed like a lot of people all around the world felt trapped by things.

His blog has launched numerous opportunities for Dave to share his story and open up an important conversation about why we feel we need things and what freedom can be found when we minimize them. He's been featured in Time magazine, on Oprah.com, the 700 Club, and in numerous other media outlets.

He and his readers are still taking up the greater challenge "to fight American-style consumerism."